Ellie DeWitt Bukater
by Christine Elizabeth
Summary: Ellie DeWitt Bukater is Rose's older sister who tries her hardest to support her through her life's difficulties. Having rejected numerous suitors from her mother, the thought of love has never come to Ellie's mind. That is, until she meets an Irishman by the name of Tommy Ryan, who will change her life forever.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi everyone!**_

 _ **So, I posted this story a few years ago. I took a hiatus from writing, and since I have not updated this since my senior year of high school, I wanted to change it and make it better!**_

 _ **SO, here is the story of Ellie! I hope some of my old readers are still around, and I hope I have some new ones as well! Please feel free to leave a review!**_

 _ **-Christine**_

 _ **Chapter 1: Ellie**_

"I don't see what all the fuss is about. It doesn't look any bigger than the Mauretania."

"What are you talking about, Rose? This is the largest ship in the world!" I exclaimed.

"You can be blasé about some things, Rose, but not about Titanic. It's 100 feet longer than the Mauretania, and far more luxurious! Thank you for proving my point, Eleanor," my sister's fiancé then turned to my mother, "Your daughter is far too difficult to impress, Ruth."

My mother chuckled in response, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Everything Caledon Hockley said was perfect in her eyes. Cal could do no wrong.

"So this is the ship they say is unsinkable?"

"It is unsinkable! God himself cannot sink this ship!" he exclaimed. Rose sighed.

"Oh God, help me," she whispered quietly to herself.

I reached over and gave my sister's hand a squeeze. I knew how difficult this engagement was for her, and I felt terrible. I could have easily been in her position. She was always so bright, optimistic, and curious. The golden child between the two of us. But now, she was just so sad. She just seemed to go through the motions each day, and I knew she was unhappy. She never talked about it with me, but I knew. Trying to lighten her mood, I pointed at the group of dogs trailing behind us.

"Rose, look at how beautiful those dogs are! Especially that Airedale!"

"Aw Ellie, they are adorable!"

"Ellie," mother shook her head, "I named you Eleanor, I don't understand why you have to change that."

"Mother, you know I prefer to be called Ellie. It suits me more than Eleanor does."

"Yes well, I prefer a lot of things as well, Eleanor. Just like how I would prefer if you were married by now."

"Oh well," I shrugged with a taunting smile. Mother gave me a cold look in return. Rose pulled me aside, while mother and Cal made their way ahead of us.

"You keep being yourself, Ellie," Rose whispered to me, "I wish I was you. You never have to be tied down."

I opened my mouth to reply, but our stewardess Trudy tapped me on the shoulder.

"Miss Ellie, your ticket," she motioned to the officer in front of me.

"Oh! Right, sorry!" I handed it over quickly.

"Thank you, miss, if you head your way down to the left a steward will escort you to your cabin."

"Thank you," I nodded.

Titanic was a floating dream that would remain in my memory for the rest of my life. The crystal chandeliers were hanging high, not a speck of dust on them. Light poured in through the windows, making them sparkle so bright. The china placed in the dining area was freshly polished, twinkling from the chandelier reflection. Walking past the dining room, I could smell this evening's meal being prepared. Chicken, maybe? My stomach rumbled.

The hall carpet was full of intricate detail, burgundy with designs traced in a golden color. My breath was taken from me as I was brought into my cabin (Rose and Cal shared one, mother and I had our own). I was privileged, but this was a kind of elegance I had not experienced. Never had I seen so many pillows on one bed. Giggling like I was a child again, I collapsed onto the bed and buried my face in the pile They smelled so crisp and clean, like fresh cut grass. The sheets felt so smooth and cool against my skin, I felt so relaxed, refreshed already. Not a soul had slept in this bed before- I would be the very first.

"Is everything alright for you, miss?" Trudy asked me. I sat up, smiling.

"Everything is wonderful Trudy, thank you."

"Do you need help unpacking?"

"No, not at all! I can take care of it myself," I took my suitcase from her hand, "You can go see if my sister needs anything."

"She's in the sitting room, right near the private promenade deck."

"Tell her I will meet her in a few moments, if you can."

"Not a problem, miss,"

"Thank you," I smiled.

As I unpacked, I began to reflect on everything Trudy had down for us these past few years. Mother hired Trudy after the maid Rose and I had grown up with passed away. Carla had been so great, she did more for me and Rose than our own mother. She worked hard, and when Trudy took over about five years ago, she had large shoes to fill. Trudy was determined to prove herself around the house, and she did. She was always there to do whatever we needed. I was bothered by the fact that we even had a maid. We were not royalty or invalids, we were completely capable of doing things on our own. I never understood why mother found it necessary. I knew mother would tell Trudy to unpack her things and put them away as soon as she saw her. It made me feel sick.

After unpacking, I headed to the sitting room directly across the hall from my cabin. Rose had a painting in her hand and Cal's close friend (and bodyguard, basically) Spicer Lovejoy came in through the other side of the room with a steward carrying Cal's safe, which he took with him everywhere.

"Ellie, who is the artist of this painting, again?" Rose asked me, not taking her eyes off it. She got most of them from an auction the last time we were home in Philadelphia.

"I'm not too sure..."

"God, not those finger paintings again. They certainly were a waste of money." I looked up to see Cal standing in the doorway.

"The difference between Cal's taste in art and mine is that I have some. They're fascinating. It's like being inside a dream or something. There's truth but no logic." Rose stated.

"What's the artist's name?" Trudy asked. Rose pondered, her face scrunched a bit.

"Something Picasso?" Rose said, thinking.

"Something Picasso? He won't amount to a thing." Cal scoffed. "He won't, trust, me. At least they were cheap."

Cal had always downplayed Rose's thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. He treated her as if she was far below him. The two of them had been engaged for six months now, and Rose was pushed to do the wedding planning from the moment he proposed. As her maid of honor, I had tried my best to be supportive to make this time less difficult for her. I knew she did not love him, and he certainly made it easy for her not to do so. He seemed to be so oblivious of her feelings, when it was so obvious to me by just seeing the looks on her face in reaction to things he said.

He was either oblivious or he just did not care.

Later that afternoon during lunch, Rose was clearly frustrated. She was more defiant, which was not like her at all. She made the daring move of smoking in front of mother, which was a shock even for me. Mother leaned in towards me after Rose excused herself quickly.

"What has gotten into your sister?" mother leaned in towards me to whisper.

"I don't know, mother," I lied. I knew it was Cal. Rose just had to talk to me.

"Well she always talks to you," mother replied hoarsely, "Go check on her, please."

I nodded and excused myself, pushing in my chair. I walked down to the hall and out to the deck- I saw her leaning over the railing.

"Are you alright, Rose?" Smoking in front of mother, that's something new."

Rose had a cigarette in her hand now. She chuckled and took a drag.

"This just isn't fair, Ellie. They're not fair."

"Want to talk about it?"

"I can't say anything. Sometimes I feel as I'm their little puppet. I can't speak my mind, I'm being forced into a society I don't want to be a part of," she sighed, "I can't even choose who I want to marry."

I placed my hand on her shoulder. I wasn't really sure of what to say.

"You're not in love with him, are you?"

"Not at all," she sighed, "I don't love the person he is. I keep trying to see some good in him, something I can live with. But I can't, Ellie. I feel like I was dragged into this, and I had no say in anything. This isn't fair. I can't stand it. I just…I just want to scream," she bit her bottom lip, "I only said yes because I would have felt ashamed if I rejected him. I was scared."

"What they're doing isn't fair to you," I said. Rose took in another drag of cigarette, leaning against the railing. I stood next to her.

"Ellie, I wish I could get out of this. I would do anything, you know," she looked out to the ocean "Sometimes I wake up and wish I hadn't."

"Please don't say that, Rose. You can leave. It's not the end of the world if you don't go through with this. It's not worth it."

"Easy for you to say," Rose scoffed, "I'm not as strong or as independent as you, Ellie. I'm not a fighter."

"Yes you are, Rose. Do not do this to yourself if you can't do it. Sooner or later, it's going to catch up to you. It's not worth it."

"Then what happens, Ellie? We lose everything," she took another drag of her cigarette, "I don't want our father's name to end up dragged in the dirt," tears began to well up in her eyes. I sighed and pulled her in for a side hug.

"His debts are not yours to pay."

" **Rose**!" we whipped around to see Cal. Rose tossed her cigarette, holder in tow, over the side of the ship and into the ocean. "What are you two doing out here? It's freezing."

"Oh Cal, it's gorgeous out here."

"Your mother was wondering where you two ran off. You should go back to her. Come on, now," Cal walked next to her, taking her arm, "Are you coming with us, Eleanor?"

"Yes, I'll catch up," I said. Cal nodded and him and Rose walked off.

I looked out, seeing the rest of the deck, seeing the vast ocean ahead of me, the lower deck below me. I was beginning to worry about Rose, and I hoped she took my words to heart. Our father was a wonderful man. Three years later, his death still hits me as if it happened yesterday. I understood where she was coming from, but the pressure of covering up the debt our father left us in with a marriage to Cal should not have been dropped on her shoulders. I was lucky. Cal took an interest in Rose right away.

Me? I had rejected numerous wealthy suitors mother attempted to arrange me with. Mother gave up on me, which was exactly what I wanted. But now, Rose was her target and I was starting to feel guilt set in. If I wasn't so selfish, Rose wouldn't be in this situation. I sighed, and my eyes drifted from the ocean to the people on the lower deck. There were children, running around with their parents trailing behind them. I smiled at two twin girls chasing each other with bouncy, dark curls, one was clutching a doll. My eyes then trailed to a group of three men. They must've been from third class, considering the way they were dressed. One wore a black beret and had darker skin. He must've been Spanish. Maybe Italian? A golden-haired man was sitting on a bench, looking like he had a sketch book of some sort wide open on his lap. He was actually looking in my direction.

The third man had a brown coat on, along with a brown bowler's hat atop a head of curls. He was leaning against the side of the ship, taking a drag of a cigarette as he was talking to the supposed artist on the bench. He was tall, shoulders broad, relaxed. Rugged. The blonde haired man turned to him to say something, and then he smiled. Even though I was far away, I could tell his smile was warm. I continued to watch him interact with the man on the bench. Suddenly, he turned in my direction and I could swear he was looking right at me. I felt my face flush, and I left quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hi everyone! I hope you are all enjoying! I didn't really feel like waiting to post the next chapter, so here we are! Please don't forget to drop a review, I love hearing your thoughts!**_

 ** _Thanks!_**

 _ **Christine**_

 **Chapter 2: Ellie**

"Completely unacceptable! What made you think that you could put your hands on my fiancée?" It turns out the young, blonde man with the sketchbook I saw out on the lower deck earlier was named Jack Dawson. Rose apparently had a run-in with him this evening out on the deck. I followed Cal when I heard something had happened to Rose. Cal was screaming at him, and he looked down to his shoes. "Look at me you filth!"

"Cal, Cal stop. It was an accident." Rose suddenly exclaimed.

"An accident?"

"It was! Stupid, really," she smiled sheepishly, "I was leaning far over and I slipped," Everyone exchanged perplexed glances, "I was leaning far over to see the uh, uhm, the um, uh-"

"Propellers?" Cal rolled his eyes.

"Yes, propellers, and I slipped! And I would've gone overboard but Mr. Dawson here saved me! And also went over himself."

"You wanted to see the propellers?" Cal's face softened, "She wanted to see the propellers!" the men around us started chuckling.

"Like I've said, women and machinery do not mix," Colonel Gracie shook his head.

"Was that the way of it?" the Master at Arms asked Jack. I noticed Jack look over at Rose, who widened her eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah, that was pretty much it."

"Well, the boy's a hero then! Good for you son, well done! So it's all's well and back to our Brandy, eh? Ha ha," Gracie chuckled as he started to head back inside.

"Look at you, you must be freezing. Let's get you inside," Cal turned towards Rose, rubbing her arms, and was about to follow Gracie without a second thought.

"Perhaps a little something for the boy?" Gracie remarked. Rose and I exchanged looks.

"Well of course. Mr. Lovejoy, I think a twenty should do it," he motioned towards him. Rose looked bothered.

"Is that the going rate for saving the woman you love?" Cal looked at Rose, a bit puzzled.

"Rose is displeased. What to do?" he paused for a moment before turning to Jack. "I know," he turned towards him in a condescending manner, "Perhaps you could join us for dinner tomorrow evening, to regale our group with your heroic tale."

"Sure," Jack's face was blank, his delivery was monotone. "Count me in."

"Good, it's settled then," Cal smiled, walking past me and leaned in towards Gracie, "This should be interesting," he said to him before approaching Rose and putting his arm around her, as if to remind Jack that she was his.

As I followed, I turned to look back at Jack. There must have been more to the story, and I had to know.

I couldn't sleep that night. I was tossing and turning in my bed while mother was fast asleep in hers. I sighed and turned towards the clock on the wall.

Midnight.

I didn't know what I was feeling, but I knew I had to talk to Rose to see if she was ok. I reached for my robe, and quietly left the cabin to see if she was awake.

"Rose," I knocked, "Are you awake?"

Rose swung open the door a brief moment later. "Please don't lecture me now, Ellie."

"What happened, Rose?" I pushed my way past her and sat on her bed. "Propeller watching? Come on. I can't believe they actually fell for that."

"I was going to kill myself, Ellie," Rose said quietly. I looked at her in disbelief.

"Rose-"

"It was stupid and impulsive, I am so sorry," she sat on the bed and hugged me tightly, "You're right. He isn't worth my life."

"Rose, you have NOTHING to apologize for," I looked her in the eye. "For God's sake! I'll say it again for the millionth time, I am your sister and I am here for you! Don't you EVER think about leaving me again!" I held her tight as tears began to well in my eyes.

"I won't. There has to be a better way to go about this," Rose sighed, "But Jack truly saved my life, you know. He was there before I jumped. If he didn't come after me, I might have done it,"

"He talked you out of it?" I looked at her in shock. I couldn't believe a random stranger was able to talk my sister out of suicide in one meeting. She nodded.

"He's really something, Ellie. I don't know how he did it. But he did," she smiled, tears started streaming down her face. "I don't know how I can thank him, but I'm going to see him tomorrow."

"How are you going to get away with that?"

"Oh I don't know," she shrugged, "I'll just show up in third class and see where it goes!" we both chuckled. "You'll come with me, right?"

"You want me to?"

"Why not?" she shrugged, "I'm a bit nervous thinking about going down there alone."

"Well, sure, I'll come," I agreed, "I would like to thank him for saving you myself."

"Thank you," she smiled warmly, "OH. But look at this. I try to kill myself, and this is what Cal does in response," she rolled her eyes as she stood up to retrieve a box from the dresser, "Look at this thing," she opened up the box to reveal a large sapphire, shaped like a heart on a diamond chain. I gasped at it's beauty.

"Holy shit! Is that a sapphire?"

"A very rare diamond, it's the Heart of the Ocean," she rolled her eyes, "I know you've been melancholy, so here is a piece of jewelry worn by King Louis XVI to make you feel better!" she mocked Cal, "A way to a woman's heart is through shiny things!"

The two of us started laughing hysterically and for the first time in months, I saw my sister smile genuinely.

She was going to be ok.

* * *

"He has no idea you're coming?" the thought of going down to third class did make me a bit nervous. Rose and I told mother we were going to the pool so she wouldn't come looking for us. She was having tea with the Countess and others anyway.

"How can he? I just want some time with Jack before everyone tears at him at dinner," Rose expressed, "You know they're go to jump right on him."

"Unfortunately, I agree with that one," I shrugged. We were standing outside the main third class entrance now. Rose took a deep breath. "Are you ready?"

"Of course. It's not a big deal, right? I'm just saying thank you," I could tell in her voice she was more nervous than I was.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate it. Let's go," I gave her a push, and the two of us headed down the stairs. There was no turning back now.

Third class was a whole different world. As we made our way down, groups of people were packed together. There was a variety of ages, languages, skin color, all in the same room. There was diversity I had never seen before. People were laughing, playing music, reading...living. This is what a community was supposed to be.

I felt so out of place, embarrassed even. Here was Rose and I, completely dressed over the top compared to everyone else in the room. Rose was wearing a long-sleeve gold and white day dress, her red hair pinned up tightly, makeup done flawlessly. I was wearing a short-sleeve sky-blue day dress, light makeup (I was never a fan, but always put some on to please my mother),and I let my chestnut-colored hair down as, to be completely honest, I was a bit too lazy to do anything with it. Every other woman here was dressed far more comfortably. If we didn't already know we were privileged, this made it obvious.

Jack was easy to find, thanks to his blonde hair. He was sitting at a bench, surrounded by others. There was a young girl sitting on his lap that had just scurried off to be with her parents. I recognized the Italian man, sitting across from him talking and laughing with a blonde woman.

The other man from yesterday was with them too. He was smoking a cigar, looking at drawings which I assumed were Jack's. He was scruffy, his hair curly and thick.

He intrigued me.

The room went silent when Rose and I stepped foot off the stairs. All eyes were on us. I gulped loudly, and followed Rose towards as she approached Jack.

"Uh, Mr. Dawson..." Rose walked over to him. He already had his eyes on her.

"Rose? Well, isn't this a surprise," Jack smiled.

"You remember my sister, Ellie?"

"Hi," I greeted him sheepishly. I tried not to look at the others around him. I felt his friend's eyes on me and Rose still.

"Yeah I do, hi," he continued to smile, "What brings you ladies down here?"

"I was hoping I could speak with you," Rose asked.

"Of course!"

"Um, privately," she requested quietly. I looked and noticed the Italian man and the attractive smoker had grins on their face.

"Yes! Yes." Jack stood up. "Wherever you would like to go."

"Thank you," Rose turned towards me, "Ellie, you can come if you would like,"

"No, no, I don't want to intrude, I'll meet you later."

"Are you sure?" Rose looked concerned.

"Of course. But can I speak with Jack for a moment before you head up?"

"Sure?" Jack looked confused as I pulled him aside. His friends' eyebrows raised.

"Jack, I want to thank you myself for what you did for Rose last night," I whispered quietly, "You saved my sister. I can't thank you enough. That's...that's all I wanted to say."

"No need to thank me. I'm really glad I was there," he put his hand on my shoulder, "She'll be ok."

"I know," I gave him a small smile, "But really. Thank you."

"Again...no need to thank me," he smiled again, and turned to approach Rose. As I watched the two of them leave together, I couldn't help but feel warmth and relief.

That is, until I realized people were still staring at me a few moments later.

"Um, lass-" Jack's curly-haired attractive friend spoke with a thick Irish accent. My stomach flopped. "You look a little lost," he grinned. I smiled sheepishly, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Oh, I'm fine. I just need to go back up those stairs," I pointed.

"Let me walk you up," he stood up, putting out his cigar before shaking my hand, "A woman shouldn't walk alone by herself round these parts. I'm Tommy Ryan. Nice to meet ya."

"Ellie DeWitt Bukater," I noticed he had a strong, thick grip.

"Quite a name," he exclaimed. The Italian man and the blonde woman he was with were watching us and giggling like kids. Tommy shot them a look "Oh piss off, will ya?" the Italian man started laughing harder. "That's Fabrizio. He's Jack's tag along."

"I see. How do you know them?"

"Oh, my cabin is just next to theirs," he shrugged, "Come on, I'll take ya out."

"Thank you," I smiled as we walked up and away from everyone else. I was trying to think of something to say as we made our way to the top of the stairs, but I had nothing. I wasn't exactly the best conversationalist.

"Beautiful afternoon, isn't it?" apparently Tommy wasn't either.

"Oh, gorgeous."

"And what do you have to get back to in first class world?"

"Honestly? Nothing," I shrugged.

"Well how about that, I got nothin' goin on either," Tommy grinned again, "How would you feel about takin a stroll around here with me this afternoon? I reckon you don't know alllllllllll the things we have down here in third class."

"Is that so?" I laughed.

"Oh, you have no idea, lass," he popped out his arm, "Come with me, and I'll show you around."

"Alright," I smiled, "I have nowhere else to be."

 **Hope you all enjoyed! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! I hope you are all enjoying! Don't forget to leave a review, I appreciate it!**

 ** _Thanks!_**

 _ **Christine**_

Chapter 3: Ellie

The air was crisp and cool as Mr. Ryan and I walked around the deck. The sun was bright, which made the mid-April air far more tolerable and relaxing.

"So," he began, "That room we just left was our fine General Room. As you probably noticed, it's where most people gather. We have parties there after dinner. It's definitelty nice enough for third class," he shrugged. "White Star's pretty good at acomidatin' us."

"Have you been on worse?"

"HA! By far," he laughed, "You know this is an Irish ship?"

"I thought it was English?"

"Oh no, Miss…" he paused for a moment, "DeWire Brukator? Or something?"

"Close," I laughed, "Just call me Ellie."

"Ok. Miss Ellie," he continued, "This fine ship was built in Belfast. They call it English, but it was built in Ireland, don't let them fool you! My own father worked on this ship, along with thousands of other Irishman."

"You're kidding!"

"I reckon not, miss. My father was a ship builder of Harland and Wolff and used his hands to help build the finest of ships! Of course after this Titanic project, he retired. Age is gettin' to him."

"Well that's really amazing, Mr. Ryan."

"I'll pass along the message to him," he winked, "Just know you're on a good, stable ship."

"Not the first I heard that one."

We were walking along F deck now.

"What brings you here to Titanic anyway, Miss Ellie?"

"Going home. I'm from Philadelphia, and my sister is getting married. We were accompanying her fiance for some kind of business trip he had in London last week, and she wanted to see what kind of wedding dresses they had in London anyway," I laughed a bit. Rose definitely did not want to marry Cal, but it didn't stop her from trying on over fifty wedding dresses for fun.

"Oh wow. Congratulations to her!"

"You could say that…" my voice trailed off. His eyebrows furrowed.

"He's an arse isn't he?"

"That's putting it lightly."

"Eh, what rich man isn't?" he shrugged. I gave Mr. Ryan a somewhat irritated look, and he turned red. "Oh sorry," he responded sheepishly, "I'm sure you're with a rich man I'm probably insultin,"

"Not at all, actually."

"Oh really?" his eyebrows raised.

"Really really," I chuckled, "Besides, you're right anyway. Every rich man I almost ended up with was a real asshole. Not that I mean to make assumptions about people, but anyway," I noticed an entrance to an area that appeared to be a dining hall, "What's that room?" I pointed, changing the subject.

"That's the Dining Saloon. They close it inbetween meals so we can't go in, but you can take a look inside."

I went towards the doors and looked through the windows, standing on my tiptoes. The saloon was tight and cozy, benches and chairs packed in close proximity to each other. I was surprised by how comfortable Mr. Ryan was on his accommodations in third class. Granted, I would be too, but it was a large change of pace compared to the extravagance of first class I was accustomed to.

"What do they serve you here?"

"Oh all kinds of stuff, it's quite amazin' actually," Mr. Ryan expressed, "They've served us roast beef, buscuits, rice soup, oatmeal, ham. Lots! And the fact that they actually serve us is far more than what I'm used to," he chuckled, "How about all of you in first class? I can't imagine."

"Furit, bacon, oats, oysters, lobster, caviar, lamb…." I could have went on, but the look on Mr. Ryan's face was completely dumbfounded.

"Well holy shit."

I chuckled sheepishly, once again feeling guilty for my privilege. "It's not THAT great…"

"The hell it isn't!" he laughed. "I would love to be a fly on the wall up there."

"Trust me, Mr. Ryan, it isn't all what it is made out to be."

"Oh, no need to be formal, just call me Tommy," he smiled. "I'm sure you're right. I'm happy just where I am," I smiled back at him. The two of us locked eyes for a moment, and then quickly looked away awkwardly.

"So what else do they have around here?"

"Besides here and the general room? There's the smokin' room and a large open room on D deck. Smoke room is more of a man's domain," he shrugged, "Other than that, there's these outdoor areas and the cabins."

"That's nice. It's honestly more comfortable and homey here than first class."

"I don't believe ya."

"It's true!" I exclaimed. "First class just has too much...stuff. Granted, it's lovely, but I cannot deny the fact that everything we have isn't actually necessary."

Tommy looked at me then, head tilted and eyes focused as if he was analyzing me.

"You're not like most first class girls, are ya?"

"I wouldn't say I am," Our eyes locked again and I was entranced by his dark, chocolate eyes. At that moment, I head the dinner horn sound off in the distance, "I should get going."

"Already?" he seemed disappointed.

"Yes, that's dinner," I shrugged, "Thank you for the tour, Mr. Ryan."

"Tommy."

"Tommy," I corrected myself, smiled, and shook his hand.

"I hope to see ya again, Miss Ellie," he gave my hand a light squeeze and I could feel myself blush.

"I hope the same, Tommy," I let go and started to leave, "Have a good evening!"

"You do the same," he responded with a tip of his hat.

I rushed my way to third class in order to avoid being late for dinner. I did not want to be asked any questions about how I spent my afternoon from my sister, and especially my mother.

Dinner that night was entertaining to say the least. Mother wouldn't stop asking Jack so many questions and personally, I felt bad for the boy. Anyway, it was obvious that mother wasn't too fond of him. The good thing was that Jack did pretty well under pressure, and he managed to make her look like an idiot in the most intelligent way. Jack did not let any of her passive-aggressive insults hurt him. He talked about being an aritist, and all of his travels around the world. Traveling all over Europe and visiting places like Paris and Italy seemed like a dream. If I had the chance I would trade in my life for a life like his. Jack was quite a character, and I could see why Rose seemed to like him. He had more of a personality than Mr. Hockley did.

After dinner, I noticed that Jack handed Rose a note. When he was gone and while Rose was getting up from the table, I followed her out of curiosity. Maybe she was going to meet him down in the general room for one of those after dinner parties Tommy mentioned to me earlier.

"What does that note say?"

"It's none of your business." Rose said flatly.

"Is it a love note or something?" I teased.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I am not! I see the way you two look at each other," Rose gave me a look.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't," I rolled my eyes, "Just let me see it. You think I would tell mother and Cal?"

"Alright, fine. I'll let you see it. But that's only because I'll never hear the end of it from you." I grinned as she handed me the small slip of paper.

Make it count

Meet me at the clock

"I'm coming with you to meet him."

"Ellie, no..."

"There's someone down there I would like to see anyway," I responded matter of factly. She laughed.

"And who would that be?"

"Tommy Ryan, Jack's friend."

"Oh really?"

"We talked for a bit while you and Jack were off, he's quite interesting. Now come along, sweet pea," I took her arm, impersonating Cal, "Mr. Dawson is waiting."

 **Expect an update within the next two weeks!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hi everyone!**_

 _ **So, it's been a very long time since I have updated. I am currently a funeral director intern, so my career is a little crazy! I missed writing, and I want to go back to updating on a regular basis. Thank you all!**_

 _ **Chapter 4: Ellie**_

"So, do you wanna go to a real party?"

Rose and I exchanged smiles and nodded our heads.

"Lead the way, Jack," Rose commanded.

We followed Jack back down to the third class general room, which I expected he would take us. As we approached, I could already hear music and laughter. I smiled to myself and took a deep breath.

This was going to be a fun night.

We entered the lounge, and entered a room full of people dancing, drinking, and socializing. The air was filled with smoke and laughter. Women were dancing in circles along to the band playing, consisting of various instruments such as bagpipes, drums, fiddles, and even spoons.

I noticed some people were already looking at us. Rose and I were still in our evening gowns and jewelry. When I noticed eyes on us, I felt my beaded emerald gown just had me a bit overdressed. I felt my face flush, and it got even harder when I saw Tommy talking with Fabrizio and another man.

What was I doing?

"Rose, I feel ridiculous," I whispered to her, "I feel…extremely overdressed," I sighed. Rose just laughed.

"I'm surprised you're the one that's all nervous about that! They'll probably be wondering why we're down here, but other than that, I see no reason why they would care," her voice trailed off and she noticed that my eyes were glued on Tommy. She grinned and looked over at Jack, "Hey Jack, isn't that your friend over there?" she asked.

"The one your sister is staring at? Yes, that's Tommy. I introduced him to you earlier," Now he was grinning too. My face was a bright red at this point.

"Did he want you to meet him here?"

"Well, he didn't exactly invite me, he just said parties happened down here."

"What happened between you two?" Rose nudged.

"Nothing! He just gave me a tour of third class while you two were out taking your walk. That's all!"

"If he mentioned where the parties were around here, he definitely wants you here," Jack stated. "Probably wouldn't expect you to be here, but he wants you here."

"How do you know?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"I just do," he shrugged, "Go talk to him!"

"I'll get there eventually!" I snapped. I needed some liquid courage.

"Why are you so nervous?" Rose teased, "I've never see you act like this around a man before."

"Because he's attractive, Rose!" I blurted, "He's the first attractive man I can actually have a decent conversation with!"

Rose and Jack were both laughing at this point. Rose gave me a push.

"Oh, stop acting like a little girl with a crush, and go talk to him!"

I opened my mouth to say something but I was interrupted. I hadn't noticed Fabrizio made his way over to us.

"Jack! Your dinner with the first class people must have went well since you brought two of them down here with you, huh?" he grinned while he patted Jack on the back. Jack chuckled.

"You remember Rose, her sister Ellie."

"Oh yes!" Fabrizio grinned, "I remember."

"You know, Fabrizio and I met him a few months ago when I made my way from Paris to Italy. I needed somewhere to stay and his family was more than welcoming. Then him and I made our way to England and we won our tickets to Titanic in a lucky hand of poker. A very lucky hand, as I mentioned before" Jack smiled, "Fabri and I have been on plenty of adventures together."

"That's nice," Rose smiled and began striking up conversation.

I looked over at Tommy again. He was smoking and seemed to be in deep conversation with the other man. He hadn't spotted us yet.

I looked away and acted like I was invested in the conversation Rose, Jack, and Fabrizio were having. I was feeling too awkward attempting to make any kind of eye contact. I started fussing with my hair, attempting to take out the butterfly clip I had pinned in tightly. It was starting to give me a headache. I had a sigh of relief as I managed to get it out, and flipped my dark curls loose.

Tommy noticed me now, and nearly spit out his beer when he saw me. I could feel myself blushing and looked away quickly once again.

"You know he talks about you!" Fabrizio stated, pointing over to Tommy. I looked back towards him as he waved sheepishly and I waved back. I turned back to Fabrizio.

"What?"

"Tommy! He talk about you after he meet you. A lot," he grinned.

"Really? What did he say?"

"Jesus Christ, Ellie, just get over there!" Rose pushed me in his direction, "Time to be a woman!"

"So pushy," I rolled my eyes and made my way over to him finally.

"Holy shit," he grinned, running his hands through his hair, "You didn't have to get dressed up just for me, you know."

"Very funny," I took a seat next to him and attempted to act confident. The man he was talking to across from him appeared to be dumbfounded by my presence.

"I didn't expect you to come here," Tommy, still surprised, took a swig of his beer.

"Well, I'm here now," I shrugged with a smile. Seeing him nervous somehow made me feel a bit more at ease.

"Want a drink?"

"Yes! Please," I said maybe a bit too quickly.

"Beer ok?"

"Any whiskey?" I needed something stronger. His eyebrows raised.

"I'll get right on it!" he headed towards the bar area. I took a deep breath, and nodded my head towards the man sitting across from us, acknowledging him.

I did not know what it was I was feeling, and I was honestly very confused. I had met numerous men, and none of them had ever made me feel so nervous like I was at this moment. Was it because I found Tommy to be attractive? Or was I feeling out of my element in third class? He wasn't like any kind of man I was used to meeting- the kind my mother would want me to be with.

No matter. After a few drinks, I was certain I would figure that out.

Tommy returned with two shots of whiskey and a beer.

"Miss Ellie," he handed one of the shots to me.

"Thank you sir," I smiled and drank it down without hesitation. Tommy was dumbfounded.

"Well, shit."

"What? You don't think first-class women drink?"

"No, no, I-"

"I'll make a bet with you," I set my glass on the table, "I bet that I can drink as much as you tonight."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes!" I smiled, "I can do it!"

"Lass, you can't outdrink an Irishman."

"You're on," I took the second shot of whiskey out of his hand and downed it like the first one. He laughed.

"Miss Ellie, you are something."

"Just call me Ellie," I grinned, and took the beer he brought over out of his hands, "Am I caught up to you yet?"

"Well, I'm three beers in so you're almost there."

"Good," I took a swig. Wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either. "Go grab us some more!"

"I got it," the man across the table from us smiled and stood up, "You two talk."

"Jim, you don't-"

"No, no, no, it's fine! Go talk to her," he winked and left the table. I turned to Tommy, already feeling the burn in my chest from the whiskey.

"Sorry I interrupted your conversation with your friend."

"No! It's fine. No important conversations," he pointed towards Rose and Jack who were now dancing, "Seems like your sister and Jack are hittin it off."

"Seems so," I smiled watching them. Rose looked...happy.

"How do you feel about your sister getting married anyway? Ever get jealous?" Tommy asked in a joking tone.

"Not at all," I laughed, "She's younger than me and everyone expected me to get married first but no, I'm not jealous at all."

"I'm surprised a fine lookin' woman like yourself doesn't have a man," he let slip. My eyebrows raised as his face turned a bright red. He took back the beer I stole from him and drank quickly.

"I've had plenty of suitors," I expressed, "I just rejected them all."

"Is that so?"

"Yes," I paused to think, "There was Harry, John, George, Michael...and more I don't care to remember the names of."

"What was wrong with them?"

"Maybe nothing? I just didn't love any of them. My mother just wanted me to marry one of them, which probably made me dislike them from the start. But then Rose met Cal and mother gave up on me."

"Ah, wanted to hook you up with a rich man, huh?"

"Sounds about right!" Tommy's friend had come back at this point, dropped off more drinks for us and walked off. We thanked him again, and I quickly took a beer into my hands and took a swig. "Mother's been concerned about marrying us off since our father passed and left us his debts."

"Oh Jesus, I'm sorry."

"It is what it is," I shrugged, "What can you do?"

Tommy shrugged as well, and pulled a cigar out of his pocket. "Smoke?"

"Sure!" I had never smoked before, but I didn't want to say no to a man I was trying to impress.

Is that what I was doing? Trying to impress him? God, what had gotten into me?

Tommy grabbed another cigar from his pocket and lit it for me.

"Since when do you smoke?" Rose asked as she and Jack approached the table and sat across from us. Fabrizio was still on the dance floor with the blonde woman I saw him with previously that afternoon.

"Oh, you didn't know? It's been awhile," I lied. She knew it.

"Oh right, I forgot," she grinned.

I rolled my eyes and inhaled the thick, black smoke from the cigar. In reaction, my mouth went completely dry and I could feel my lungs harden. I started bursting into a horrible coughing fit. Rose and Jack started laughing hysterically.

"Are you alright?" Tommy was laughing with them.

"I'm fine," I let out hoarsely. Apparently smoking was something I could not take up.

"Here, let me take that off your hands," Jack offered. I handed it right off to him.

"It's just cigars I'm not used to."

"Sure lass, they're the cheap kind you know," Tommy winked and took a drag from his. I rolled my eyes and went back to my beer.

"Very funny."

"What are you two doing sitting here anyway?" Rose asked, "Everyone is dancing!"

"Oh Rose, I don't know."

"Come on, it will be fun!" She grabbed one of the beers Tommy's friend brought, standing up and chugging it quickly. Tommy and Jack looked at her, impressed. "What?" she snapped, "You think first class girls can't drink?"

"Jesus, your sister said the same thing," Tommy laughed, "You're both so defensive."

"We just don't like to be judged," I stated before doing another shot of whiskey. Feeling ambitious, I stood up with Rose.

The alcohol had officially hit me. I felt warmth in my chest, and the room was a bit hazy. The mix of alcohol and putting on an act like I was confident gave me the push I needed to make my move.

"Dance with me, Tommy," I held out my hand. Rose and Jack exchanged looks, and I knew what they were thinking.

"Gladly," he stood up and took my hand tightly, taking me towards the dance floor, "I'm not too good, so lower your expectations if you have any."

"Well we can be horrible together," I laughed and turned back to Jack and Rose, "You two coming?"

"Yes!" Rose and Jack followed behind, but it did not take long for me to lose track of them.

Tommy had me on the dance floor and we awkwardly faced each other in dancing position.

"I'm not good at this," I said again, avoiding eye contact again.

"Neither am I," he laughed, "But we have to get closer, you know," he placed his hand on the small of my back and pulled me closer to him, barely an inch between us. My stomach started to churn, and I got the courage to look into his dark eyes. "Relax," he smiled.

And just like that, everything became a blur. It was just the two of us and the music the band was playing.

We kept going back and forth from dancing to drinking for hours on end that night. I kept my bet of trying to keep up my drinking with Tommy's.

Needless to say...his smile on the dance floor was the last thing I remembered.

 **Don't forget to drop a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hi everyone!**_

 _ **I apologize for the long wait for an update. Good thing is, I am taking on less hours at work and I recently hit some inspiration for working on this. So again, I am sorry for taking so long to continue, and I hope you enjoy.**_

 _ **Chapter 5: Tommy**_

You can't out drink an Irishman. You just can't.

And as I held Ellie's hair back as she vomited over the side of Titanic, my case was proven.

"I'm sorry," she groaned, her head still hanging over the edge.

"Just say I was right," I grinned. She shot me a glare.

"Never," her face turned and she went back to hocking her caviar into the ocean.

It was hard not to laugh a little. The girl was stubborn.

"Let it out lass, you're alright," I started rubbing her back and shoulders. A few minutes passed and she was able to stop heaving. She let out a sigh and slumped down against the side of the ship.

"Sit with me," she tugged on my sleeve.

"Sure," I sat next to her as she sprawled and rested her head on my lap. I wasn't too sure what to do at this point.

"I feel like shit."

"Well you've just been puking for the past 20 minutes."

"I think I drank too much."

"I would say so."

She sighed, taking my arm and putting it around her waist.

"Are you ok being out here?" I asked, a little uncomfortable by how close she wanted to be considering how drunk she was before vomiting, "It is cold."

"I'm ok," she said, "Could you just...hold me for a little? Just until I feel a bit better," she looked up at me.

I would have never thought a woman like her would ever give me the time of day. Running into the crowd she was from, they wouldn't even bat an eye. She was different.

And she was beautiful. It was hard not to give into what she wanted when she was looking up at me with those green eyes of hers.

"Uh sure," I smiled, and decided to cover her with my coat. Her dress was short sleeve, and she needed it.

"Thanks," she closed her eyes and sighed, "I still had a nice night, you know."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. First class isn't fun like this."

"Why am I not surprised about that?" I chuckled.

"My mother would kill me if she saw me and Rose here tonight. And Cal..." her voice trailed off, and she sat up, "Where is Rose?"

"Inside with Jack still, I don't think she saw us come out here."

"I should probably find her," she groaned, "We should get back."

"Ok," I stood up and helped her up. As we began walking back, she was stumbling a bit. "Hey, watch out there," I laughed as I caught her from falling. I had her arms around her as she laughed a bit and locked eyes with me. I had that uncomfortable, nervous feeling once again.

"Tommy?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for taking care of me tonight."

"It's no trouble, El. Really."

"I appreciate it," she put her arms around me and hugged me tightly. I held her for a few moments there, wondering when I would see her again after tonight.

We made it back into the general room, which was starting to clear out for the night. Rose and Jack were nowhere to be found.

"I think your sister went back, El."

"Shit," she groaned, "I just want to go to bed."

"I can take you back to first class if you can direct me."

"I honestly don't think I can," she laughed, "And honestly, I'm not up for walking."

"Well, what do you want to do?" I asked, a bit afraid of where this was going.

"Can I just...stay with you for the night?"

Fuck.

"Uh. Yes, of course."

Fuck.

Praying I wouldn't end up in a compromising situation, I brought El to my cabin. Luckily, my cabin mate wasn't to be seen, so there was an extra bed available. Before I could even offer her the bottom bunk, El collapsed right onto it. Relief settled over me, and I covered her with a blanket.

She wasn't lying, she actually did just want to go to bed.

I didn't feel comfortable falling asleep right away in case she was going to get sick again, so I sat on the floor at the foot end of the bed. I couldn't help but watch her sleep so peacefully for awhile. At one point, her hair fell in front of her face and I tucked it behind her ear.

I was really starting to like this girl.

* * *

 **Ellie**

Oh no.

Panic went through me as I woke up, trying to recognize where I was, and what happened last night.

I sat up and pain in my head ensued. Wincing and rubbing my head, I looked around my surroundings.

It wasn't too bright, I didn't hear any announcement for breakfast. Couldn't be too late in the morning, right? I saw Tommy asleep on the floor in long underwear, looking surprisingly comfortable.

Oh god, we didn't have sex did we? I couldn't remember anything after dancing.

I mean, that's not something I would be that upset about, but certainly it would be something I would want to remember. _Need_ to remember.

Oh god.

I was still wearing my dress from last night. I had to get out of here.

Quickly and quietly, I slipped out into the hall.

It was quiet, which meant everyone still must have been asleep. I had a sigh of relief, and walked briskly towards first class.

So many thoughts were going through my head. I felt so much shame, such embarrassment. How did I allow myself to get in a situation like this? Tommy was great, but I had just met him. I did not know him. I shouldn't have allowed myself to get so close. I've never allowed myself to do that before with any other man. What was I doing? Why wasn't I being careful?

And at the same time, why was I so ashamed? I had an amazing night (from what I could remember), and from the looks of it, Tommy was wonderful. I felt comfortable with him. That's why I wasn't careful. I was comfortable, and I was happy.

What the hell was I feeling?

Why didn't I leave with Rose? She wouldn't have just let me there, it wasn't like her.

I had made it on to the main deck without being seen. The sun was just about to rise, so I had made it just in time. It must have been only five in the morning, maybe earlier.

I approached my cabin and slipped in quietly, shutting the door behind me. I felt like I could breathe again. I changed out of my evening gown and into a slip. My thoughts were still racing as I approached my en-suite water closet, splashing my face with cold water.

Get yourself together, Ellie.

I brushed out my tangled hair, a complete atrocity. I managed to get it into a side braid, and then I headed to my bed.

There was no way I was going to breakfast. Not even church. I couldn't face my family.

But how would they know? Was Rose mad at me?

I was just so confused.

Head pounding, I turned on my side, shutting my eyes, pushing my thoughts out of my head.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Tommy**

When I woke up, Ellie was gone.

Not that I expected her to be around anyway. I mean, who was I kidding? She had to get back to her life upstairs of course, and nothing happened the night before anyway. Right?

Except I couldn't stop thinking about her.

I was surprised she even came last night. I didn't expect to see her again after meeting her the first time. Even if she didn't want to see me again after last night, it was fine. Honestly. She didn't owe me _anything_.

Except I really felt like there was _something_ between us. Because this was the first time I couldn't stop thinking about a woman like this since I was, what, sixteen I'd say.

I had my fair share of women back at home. And none of them hit me like this.

I didn't know what was happening.

I slept through breakfast as I had trouble falling asleep last night. I was up for at least half the night. I found Jack and Fabrizio out on the deck on one of the benches. Fabrizio nudged Jack and they both gave me a shit-eating grin.

"There he is!" Fabrizio chuckled.

"Where were you this morning?" Jack inquired.

"Asleep," I rolled my eyes, taking a seat next to Jack.

"Late night?"

"Fuck off," the two of them hollered. I shook my head, "If the two of you think taking care of a first class lass who can't hold her liquor is a good time then keep laughing."

"Wait, what?" Jack looked confused.

"El got pretty sick last night, but who knows, it could be from the caviar," I said sarcastically.

"Rose thought she left early, I took her back."

"Nope. She was out on deck puking, and passed out in my room."

"Jesus," Fabrizio was still laughing.

"I take it you had a good night with Helga?"

"Of course," Fabrizio winked, "Until, you know, her father came around."

"Ouch."

"Eh well," he shrugged, "It is what it is. I love her, you know."

"Oh God," I shook my head.

"What?!"

"That's insane, you just met her."

"Oh don't get on him," Jack nudged, "Love comes in unexpected ways."

"And what are you getting at, Dawson?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," he chuckled, "I just saw the way you were looking at Ellie last night and I think you have no room to talk,"

"Christ," I rolled my eyes again, "I'm never going to see her again."

"Do what you want, Tommy," Jack shrugged, "But I'm taking my chance."

"What are you talking about?"

"I need a favor from you both actually," Jack looked at us with begging puppy-dog eyes.

"I don't like where this is going," I groaned.

"I need some help getting up to first class."

"I knew it," I sighed and Fabrizio smiled widely, encouraging Jack's outrageous ideas. "It's Rose, isn't it?"

"I just have to talk to her," he stated.

"Jack, she's getting married."

"She doesn't love him."

"I know, but-"

"I'm taking my chance Tommy," he stood up, "Now are the two of you going to help me or not?"

I looked at Fabrizio, who shrugged, stood up, and held out his hand.

"He's crazy you know," I took his hand, pulling me off the bench.

"He's in love."

 _ **Ellie**_

Pounding on my door was certainly not a way I wanted to fight of a hangover.

"Ellie, it's Rose, let me in," Groaning, I forced myself out of bed and swung open the door. She had trouble suppressing her laughter when she saw me. "Jesus, you look awful."

"Thanks, I feel awful," I fell back into bed. She sat on the edge.

"So that explains why you weren't at breakfast."

"Naturally."

"I thought you came back early last night."

"Nope. I don't remember anything after dancing. I just woke up in Tommy's bed."

"What?" Rose looked concerned, "Ellie, I am so sorry, I shouldn't have left you, I just really thought you went back. I had no idea."

"It's alright, Rose. You're not supposed to take care of me, I'm fine."

"Did...did something happen?"

"I don't know, I don't remember much of anything," I sat up. Rose still looked worried.

"Maybe you should find Tommy."

"Rose, there's nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. Honestly, knowing myself, I probably fell right asleep. It's just...it's just him I don't know."

"Right."

"Yet, I trust him. I feel so comfortable with him, I don't know what it is."

"I know what you mean, Ellie, but you should still talk to him."

"Maybe, once I feel better."

" _I need a word with both of you_ ," I heard my mother hiss as she let herself into my room. "Rose, Trudy is waiting for you in your cabin. I'll be in with you once I'm done speaking with Eleanor."

Rose reluctantly got up from my bed, and adhered to mother's orders. I sighed, having a bad feeling I knew what was coming.

"Mother, I'm not feeling too well right now."

"What the hell were you thinking?!" she snapped, her arms crossed. She was still standing near the door as if coming close to me was contagious.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know where you both were last night, don't play stupid with me."

"Oh you had Lovejoy spying on us, that's fantastic," I laughed, "Such a service he provides."

She had already had it with me. She stormed towards me abruptly, slapping me across the face.

"Listen to me, Eleanor! For God's sake. This is not a game we are playing here. Rose looks up to you. You are her older sister, you are supposed to set a good example for her."

"Mother, she invited me to that party. Not the other way around," I glared, rubbing the side of face.

"That doesn't matter, Eleanor. You should have prevented her from going. She's getting married to Cal, and she can't be acting out like you do."

"Acting out like I do?" I scoffed.

"Like a whore, Eleanor. You didn't get back here until early this morning, didn't you?" she sneered. Feeling my face grow hot I stood out of bed.

"Get out, mother."

"Eleanor, listen to me," she grabbed my shoulders. "I know how your sister feels about Cal, believe me. But it's a good match for her, it's good for you and me. You know your father left us absolutely nothing."

"Mother, stop."

"We need to survive, Eleanor," her eyes started tearing, "I know I have put you both through so much. I know it. And I am sorry for that," it seemed like she was struggling with her words, "I love you both so much. You have so much of your father in you."

"Mother, I can't-"

"I just want us to survive, Eleanor," she was pleading with me, "Just please, help me with that. Our survival matters more than happiness. I know it's not right but we have to do what we _have_ to do," I couldn't look at her. She was willing to sacrifice her own daughter's happiness, her own life and marriage...just so she could get what she wanted out of it. But...what was she was saying right? "Be a good example for your sister. I know this isn't easy, but it is time to grow up." I looked at her, tears were still welling in her eyes.

"I understand, mother. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," she brought me in for a hug, "We're going to take a tour of the ship with Mr. Andrews. Will you be ready?"

"Yes, mother."

"Good," she smiled a bit, placing her hand on my cheek, "That's my daughter."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Tommy

"Jack, this is insane," he was in a whole other world at this point. There was nothing we could say or do to stop him from getting to Rose. I felt as if I was pleading with him the whole walk up here and now that we were approaching first class, I wasn't having a good feeling. "Jack, just forget about her." No response. I knew his mind was set, but I just had the feeling it was going to be a big mistake."How did he talk us into this?" I asked Fabrizio, who merely shrugged in response.

At this point, we made our way up the steps from our deck, moving through a gate at the top with a sign that read "Notice: 3rd Class Passengers Not Allowed Forward of This." It was broad daylight, we were bound to get caught.

"Jack, look, you gotta forget about her. You're making a mistake. She's from a different world, she's closed the door," he continued walking ahead of us towards the wall below the A-deck promenade.

"I'm involved now, Tommy. She needs to know how I feel before she makes a big mistake," he turned to me, "I'm taking a chance and even if it doesn't work out the way I want, it would have been worth it. She's worth it."

"She has a fiance, Jack. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'm more concerned about her getting hurt, Tommy. I just want her to be ok," I could see concern in his eyes and that's when it hit me. It wasn't really just about him and his feelings. There was more to it than that, more than I could understand, "Now please, help me up here."

I shook my head once again, before putting my hands together and crouched down with Fabrizio. Jack stepped in our hands and we boosted him up to the next deck. He was in. Jack turned back to us, quietly thanked us, and ran off before getting caught.

"He's not bein' logical I tell ya."

"Amore is'a not logical," Fabrizio responded with a smile. I rolled my eyes and Fabrizio chuckled.

"C'mon, let's get the hell out of here before they arrest us."

"Hey! You two can't be up here!" An officer must have just caught us as we were about to approach the steps heading down.

"We go we go!" Fabrizio barked back as we ran quickly down the steps, the officer slamming the gate behind us.

Before we got too far, I couldn't help but look back at the deck above us, just one last time, hoping just by chance to see Ellie up there.

Ellie

"And this is our fine gymnasium here!"

I was not into this tour mother had roped me into. Mr. Andrews was a kind, wonderful man, but my stomach could not take the long walk. I felt as if I was barely pushing through.

Cal hopped on the rowing machine, working it to show off he was well trained.

"Reminds me of my Harvard days."

I rolled my eyes. I couldn't take this much longer.

"Excuse for a moment, I need some fresh air," I smiled at Mr. Andrews, "Please, do continue on without me, I will catch up."

Mother shot me a look, which I ignored. Luckily, Mr. Andrews was fine with my dismissal, and introduced mother, Cal, and Rose to the gym instructor, T.W. McCauley.

I took in the cool air heavily as I stepped out on deck, attempting to fight my nausea. I was sure to walk out of eyesight from the gym as I made my way down the Promenade. I found a deck chair I could sit on to catch myself for a bit. There was a chair next to me with a black overcoat and bowler hat, no one was around except for a young man spinning a black top with his son. I closed my eyes for a bit, hoping to calm down and maybe process my thoughts from earlier.

I couldn't stop thinking about Tommy and what my mother had said to me. I still couldn't remember much from last night, but what I did remember was that I was happy...so very happy. It was certainly my fault for getting as sick as I did, but something just told me that nothing horrible had happened after that. I just couldn't stop thinking about laughing and dancing with him, his eyes and his smile, and the butterflies I felt in my stomach all night.

I felt so conflicted. On one end, I wanted to tell Tommy to stay away- for his sake and for my own. I didn't want to hurt him, and I didn't want to get hurt. Maybe it would be best for the both of us. We would never see each other again getting off this ship anyway, why should we act on any kind of feelings we had? It was risky, illogical and could even hurt my family.

But on the other end, I just wanted him to hold me in his arms, and tell me I wasn't crazy for feeling this way.

Maybe just avoiding him completely would be better. Then I wouldn't have to face anything at all.

I opened my eyes back up, and I saw another man approaching briskly from the corner of my eye. Even from a distance, I could tell he wasn't dressed like the rest of us, and when he came closer, I recognized him instantly.

"Jack? What the he-"

"Sh!" he shushed me quickly, calmly scooping the hat and coat off the chair next to me.

"What are you doing? Are you insane?"

"Ellie, I have to talk to Rose," he said as he slipped on the overcoat.

"And how do you think that is going to play out with mother and Cal there?"

"I don't know, I have to think."

"Jack, this is crazy. Please don't do this, look at yourself, you're even stealing!" I was worried for him, really. With mother and Cal so close, a blow up was expected to happen.

"I'm in too deep, Ellie. You know I am," he looked at me as he put on the bowler's hat, "Your sister is the most amazing person I have ever met. I can't turn around without knowing she is ok. You know what could have happened that night."

"Jack, I-"

"They'll kill her, Ellie. You know that," I felt as if his eyes were piercing right through me. I knew there was so much care and concern underneath them, "He's not right for her."

"I know. But you're going to get hurt."

"It doesn't matter. At least I tried. She's not like them. You're not like them. Which is why I'm even telling you all of this," he sighed, slicking his hair behind his ears underneath the hat.

"This is dangerous."

"I have to try, Ellie," he said, "Where is she?"

"They're in the gymnasium," I sighed, "You shouldn't do this. Forget about her, Jack."

"That's funny you say that," he laughed.

"Why?"

"Because Tommy said the same thing," he winked. My stomach flipped, "Just let me try, Ellie. Please."

I stood up then, taking in a deep breath. I was completely overwhelmed by the situation, and understood where he was coming from. If he wanted to risk it, so be it.

And that was beside the point. I knew Rose had feelings for him, just by the way she was looking at him last night. He could be her saving grace.

"Fine, go. Just be careful. Don't let yourself be seen."

"Oh come on, you gotta give me more credit than that," he grinned and then unexpectedly, brought me in for a hug, "Thank you."

"You saved her life, Jack. I know you care for her," I placed my hands on his shoulders, pleading one last time, "Just be careful."

"I will. Don't worry," and just like that, he was off.

I watched him as he walked away so briskly. I could have just jeopardized everything my family had left.

But on the other hand, after seeing how he was, the way he talked about Rose...I did not care. He was unlike anyone I had ever met before. One of the most real and honest people I had met. Rose and I didn't have much of that in our lives.

I had to talk to Tommy. If he helped Jack get up here, he had to be close.

Letting everything go, I decided to ditch the tour completely and ran down the promenade to find him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Tommy**

As Fabrizio and I made our way back to third class, I didn't know what to think about anything. Jack was so determined, so sure about everything. I couldn't wrap my head around how he could be so confident.

"You know Fabri, he's going to get himself into a lot of trouble, I'm tellin ya."

"Mhmm."

"And that Cal, ya know he's goin to kill him if he finds out."

"Oh c'mon, you'rea being ridiculous."

"I'm not! Don't underestimate the power a rich man has. I don't trust that fucker, and I haven't even met him yet," I paused, "Nor do I think I really want to."

"Jack, he's smart. He knows what he's doing."

"Didn't you just say love or "amore" isn't logical? Which would imply he would, most likely, act illogical?" I questioned, "Whatever intelligence he has is out the window with this girl." Fabrizio groaned.

"Well, it'sa too late now, wouldn't you say?"

"We helped him up there, so yes. I would say so."

"So let it go! Jack will be fine. I know him."

"We'll see about that," I sighed.

"Now how about you?"

"What about me?"

"Ellie! You have to talk to her."

"Oh no, no, no. Don't get me involved in whatever scheme you and Jackie have going on in your heads."

"Tommy, you have to!"

"For what reason?"

"I think you know," Fabrizio's eyebrows raised, giving me the kind of a look an irritated parent would give their child. I rolled my eyes.

"What does it matter how I feel about her? It makes no sense, I'll never see her again after this. I just met the girl for Christ's sake."

"So what?"

"So it makes no sense! There's no need to blow things out of proportion when, as I already said, I'll never see her again."

"I think you may see her again."

"How do you know?"

"Because she's right behind you," he grinned, giving me a shove.

I felt my stomach drop to my knees as I turned around and sure enough, she was coming towards us.

God, even after having a rough night she still managed to look so beautiful and put together.

"Hey!" she barked, "Can you both explain to me why you would think it would be a good idea to sneak Jack up to first class without my consultation?"

"For the record El, I strongly advised against it," I stated.

"Trust me, he did." Fabrizio rolled his eyes.

"It wasn't exactly great timing on your part. She's in the middle of touring the ship with mother and Cal."

"Jack's plan. Not ours," I shrugged. Fabrizio nodded, agreeing with me. She sighed, running her hands through her hair.

"Well, I just wanted to say that if you came to me first...I wouldn't have been opposed to helping him out. It may have been easier than having him bring you both along and sneaking around."

My eyebrows raised. Not opposed?

"You mean, you're ok with this?"

"I don't know. It may not be smart but...who am I to judge?" her eyes locked with mine then for a moment until she looked away, "My sister is a grown woman. She is capable of making her own decisions. I don't know Jack that well, but I do know Cal. And in the almost forty-eight hours I have known Jack, he has made a better impression on me than Cal has in the past year. That's what I know."

"You see?" Fabrizio patted me, "It'll all work out! You can't stop amore!"

"Yeah, well," I rolled my eyes. El gave me a small smile, and then looked away again. I wasn't too sure, but I could tell something may have been on her mind, "Hey Fabri, could you give us a minute?" I asked. His eyes seemed to light up completely.

"Oh but of course! I'll catch upa with you later."

"Thanks," he winked at me and then was off. I shook my head, "That Fabrizio, he's something."

"Yeah," El chuckled, making her way to the deck railing, "He is."

"Are you alright? You seem a bit in your head there," I asked, standing next to her.

She sighed, leaning her hands over the railing, looking out to the ocean.

"I don't remember much from last night Tommy."

"I'm not surprised about that, you did quite a number on yourself."

"Jesus," she groaned, rubbing her temples. "I honestly don't act like that, really. I may have a few glasses of wine when I'm around my family just to push through but I just...I don't know," she brushed it off. "Do you mind giving me a run through of everything?"

"At which point?"

"Everything after dancing is a bit hazy."

"Ah," I nodded, "Well, we danced for most of the night. Then I took you out here because you got uh, quite sick."

"And I threw up over the boat?"

"That's right. For awhile. Long enough for it to be late enough for Rose and Jack to leave, assuming we left."

"Uh huh. And then what happened?"

"And then I offered to take you back up to first class, but you declined because you-"

"Just wanted to sleep?" she asked with an awkward smile. It was coming back to her a bit now.

"Yes. So you asked to stay in my room and that's how you ended up there."

"I see," she nodded, seeming to still be trying to remember more. "Did um anything happen?"

"That's pretty much it," I shrugged, "I took you back and you passed out."

"So...nothing happened...between us?" her voice trailed off as she looked me dead in the eye. For some reason, I couldn't help but feel a bit bothered by this question, as if that would be something I would try to hide from her.

"No, El. Nothing happened."

"Thank God," she sighed with relief. I couldn't help but feel bothered by that reaction as well, but I laughed it off.

"But I dunno, El, I think you may have wanted something to happen."

"What?" she snapped.

"You were a bit clingy. Just to point out," I winked at her. She blushed.

"Shut up, I wasn't."

"It was quite cute, actually."

"Oh god," she groaned again, burying her face in her hands. "That's embarrassing."

"More than the puking?"

"UGH."

I snickered. There was no need for her to be embarrassed.

"Really El, it was no big deal," I assured her, putting my arm around her, "No need to beat yourself up."

"Easy for you to say."

"Hey, you're talking to a man that has had more blackouts than he would like to admit. And besides, your safe with me," I grinned. I could tell she was blushing again.

"Well, thank you for putting my mind at ease and for taking care of me last night."

"No problem."

"And I most certainly would not have wanted anything to happen last night, contrary to _your_ belief," she maintained.

"Ha, I mean I completely agree. I like my women conscious anyway."

"Jesus," she laughed, shaking her head, "You're not like any other man I met, you know that?"

"I don't have the kind of money like any other man you've met is what I think ya meant to say."

"Oh stop," she gave me a shove with her shoulder, leaning into me. She looked up at me then, her emerald eyes locking with mine. I loved having her so close to me, and I loved who I was around this woman. At that moment, having her in my arms, looking up at me like that, I just didn't care that I had only met her the day before. Minutes seemed to pass, and I was just so close to kissing her until- "Tommy...I...I should get back."

"What?"

"I should get back," her face was flushed as she turned away from me, "Mother is probably going to have a fit."

"Since when did you care about what your mother thinks?"

"That's beside the point," she grumbled, "I have to go."

"You shouldn't."

"I have to," she walked past me, turning to face me one last time, "I'll see you around."

"You sure about that?"

"I-" she paused, seeming to be thrown off by that question, "I can't answer that now."

"Alright then," I sighed, waving her off, "I'll see ya."

She lingered for one last moment, as if she was waiting for me to say something else. But I didn't know what else to say that could get her to stay. We were from two different worlds. I had to practice what I preached and keep in mind that this was certainly illogical.

But as I watched her make her way back to her own reality, I stood there wishing I would have kissed her, and told her that I was falling for her.

 **Please please please don't forget to drop a review! I hope you are all enjoying, and expect faster updates thanks to this quarantine!**


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